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The Midlands
'Cultural background: '''Tarigani (generally), some Nittan influence in the southern part. '''Language: '''Houshigo, some forms of Nittango in the South, various local dialects. '''Religious influences: 'Path of the Spirits (majority of the population), Way of the Stars (most of nobility), limited Kindai influences. '''Population: '''Fairly high, concentrated in large cities and settlements '''Original settlement: '''Early Imperial era for most of the territory. '''Major export: '''Softwood and hardwood lumber, fresh water fish, iron / copper (in the south), paper '''Major import: '''Grain, precious metals, horses, pack animals History of the province At the middle of the Empire stands the Great Green Sea, which was considered most holy by almost all of the local population until the early days of the Imperial era. Around the time of the Second Mikado, more lands needed to be awarded to warriors and Sons of Heaven which were participating in the war effort against the Yunjin people, and the constant population growth required more and more wood for the construction of housing projects and paper for the writing of imperial record by the Bureaucracy. Local population in the forest was mostly of Ganizoku origin and while initially they resisted the imperial advance from the 3rd and 7th legion, once they realized it would increase commerce and bring safety to their little hamlets, most regional lords simply acknowledged their rule. The territory was split into various operational regions by the bureaucracy, put under the rule of the Viper family, the Hornet family, the Tall Pine family and the Short Pine family. Local leaders were mostly inducted in the Warrior Caste and assigned minor holdings to manage while the region was being developed. Things went fairly well for the Empire in the Midlands, striking deals with local spirits to not destroy the forest, and the bureaucracy quickly established what became known as “sustainable forestry practices”, where for every tree cut down another had to be replanted, making sure the local spirits would not be angered by excessive lumbering and preventing permanent damage to the supply of wood from the region. There were some odd battles with woodland spirits, mostly in regions that the locals had dubbed “the cursed woods”, but nothing the Imperial Onmyou couldn't handle with the assistance of the military. The biggest threats usually came from the wildlife, the forest being full of dangerous animals, ranging from badger to the great brown bears, from small lynx to wild tigers and forest lions, wolves of all shapes and sizes and various form of giant birds. Even today, it is not totally safe to go in the deep woods of the midlands and even border villages can be threatened by wild packs of animals. The development of the region came in bursts, mostly with the opening of roads deeper and deeper into the forest. The discovery of the Inland Sea, source of three of the great rivers of the Empire, was key to the growth of the population in the region, as was the construction of the great cities near the mouth of those rivers to control trade going downriver. By the sixth century, most of the region had been explored and most of the current major settlements had been built. Unlike the Yunjin and Nittan cities, and even unlike most Tarigani cities, midland cities are rarely fortified except for the city main keep, the locals using the forest and geography to protect them rather than walls. The Midlands was one of the first Imperial region to have fully paved roads, in order to make sure people would know where to go rather then get lost in the woods, and the rivers and canals are extensively used for both travel and work, with lumbermills and ports dotting the riverside. Economic Activity The region itself is quite populous, which is somewhat unfortunate as the amount of free land to grow food or raise animals is quite limited, which means the locals are constantly importing grain from the Endless Shores or the Great Plains, but nobody is really idle in the region. The peasantry mainly works in forestry throughout the region, while those who live on the shores of the Inner Sea can also work in the fishing industry, both in the capture and smoking of the finished product. Trapping is also a popular line of work for the more adventurous peasants, but with the Tarigani taboo on wearing leather, most of it is exported to Yunjin territories or to the Great Plains. In the south, where the Iron Shield moutains turn into rolling hills, multiple mining installations were built over the year, mostly drawing iron and copper from the ground. In accordance with deals with regional spirits, some locals have also built wild orchard within the forest, but those are still quite rare. Even with a growing food deficit which requires more and more imports of grain from other region, there is enough work in the Midlands for a lot more peasants, and it becomes a prime destination for destitute and exiled populations, which makes things difficult for some local lords at time. Military presence in the Midlands The Warrior caste is, of course, in charge of managing most of the region, under the guidance of the Bureaucracy. Far from any active threats, most of the Midlands military problems come from small lords arguing and clashing between each other’s and some border disputes with bordering lords of the Endless Shore regions. Midlands military force is mostly built around highly mobile ambush units, made to fight in the woods and other difficult terrains, and features quite a few scouts and infiltrators compared to other Imperial military. Ashigaru troops are usually armed with hand axes like the masakari rather than long spears favored by most other regional peasant troops, and most units also contain at least one specialist unit to build traps and snares. Samurai units prefer smaller weapons in general rather then polearms and spears, with most simply using their katana as a main weapon, along with shorter, more compact bows rather than the longer infantry bow or cavalry bow. Midlands cavalry units are not unheard of, but the lack of mobility in the woods large cavalry units have strongly limits their development. The use of camouflage is also widespread amongst the Midlands samurai, which often leads other people to view them as dishonorable. The 7th and 12th Imperial legion is usually stationed in the Midlands and have grown accustomed to the regional tactics and implement them regularly in war games against the locals, and in almost all Northern Legions, at least one unit is drawn from the Midlands to take advantage of their expertise in ambush warfare. Climate Weather varies wildly in the region. While the south is fairly warm and wet, experiencing a short winter with a bit of snow which barely impedes activities in the region, the north is fairly dry and cold, with a winter comparable to most regions of the Yunjin territory. Close to the Windshorn Mountains, temperatures are usually fairly cold throughout the year but it is also extremely humid, leading to the growth of immense trees in the moss-covered hills. The north mostly has coniferous forests, mainly composed of pine and fir, while as we go towards the south of the region, the coniferous trees begin being replaced by maple and birch, with the southernmost parts of the forest having various forms of oaks other large hardwood trees. Culture of the Midlands Weather varies wildly in the region. While the south is fairly warm and wet, experiencing a short winter with a bit of snow which barely impedes activities in the region, the north is fairly dry and cold, with a winter comparable to most regions of the Yunjin territory. Close to the Windshorn Mountains, temperatures are usually fairly cold throughout the year but it is also extremely humid, leading to the growth of immense trees in the moss-covered hills. The north mostly has coniferous forests, mainly composed of pine and fir, while as we go towards the south of the region, the coniferous trees begin being replaced by maple and birch, with the southernmost parts of the forest having various forms of oaks other large hardwood trees. Category:Imperial Province Category:Midland